Acts of Kindness: Boxing instructor a confidence builder for R.I. State Police candidates

CENTRAL FALLS — He calls the state police troopers “Rhode Island’s soldiers,” and they say boxing instructor Peter Grundy’s bloody, but controlled, lessons help them safely return to their families.The...

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By
Alisha A. Pina
Posted Dec. 25, 2013 @ 10:08 pm

CENTRAL FALLS — He calls the state police troopers “Rhode Island’s soldiers,” and they say boxing instructor Peter Grundy’s bloody, but controlled, lessons help them safely return to their families.

The 56-year-old has been training student troopers at the state police academy in Foster for 23 years. Several continue to spar at Grundy’s no-frills Central Falls gym — a spot visited over the years by boxing royalty such as Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali.

Grundy doesn’t charge a dime to anyone, including the neighborhood kids who come in to learn how to fight and leave with so much more.

His dedication to the academy earned him the highest award given by the Rhode Island State Police to a citizen: the Colonel Everitte St. John Chaffee Award.

Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, superintendent of the state police, surprised Grundy with it at the recent graduation for 36 new recruits. Had he told Grundy, the colonel said the humble former Golden Gloves fighter wouldn’t have come.

“Many troopers have avoided being injured on the streets because Mr. Grundy’s training became second nature to them in the academy,” O’Donnell said at the ceremony while Grundy stood on stage, looking uncomfortable.

“We can never repay him for providing both the physical and mental toughness he instilled in dozens of troopers over the years.”

Grundy seemed more in his element back at the gym. The ring seems to take up more than half the space in the converted warehouse. The rest is filled with speed and heavy punching bags, and other boxing necessities.

But Grundy deflected every compliment by saying the training he offers is a group effort.

“Your next opponent is training harder than you are,” says one quote on the walls. Another reads, “Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement.”

Grundy’s father, Robert, started the gym in the late 1960s. He was a boxer in the Marine Corps during World War II and because he survived the war when others didn’t, Peter Grundy says his dad was determined to give back.

Employees of Dome Construction — which the Grundys own — initially came across the street to spar, but the doors were soon opened to neighborhood kids and anyone else who wanted to learn the sport. He didn’t charge either.

“My father was better at this than me,” says Peter Grundy.

Former state police superintendent Brendan Doherty had been training at Grundy’s Gym since he was a kid, so when the state police wanted to upgrade its boxing program in 1990, he asked his friend Grundy to help. Troopers were then training in an old missile silo underground at the academy.

It was primitive, rough, a pit of asphalt, those standing around the ring recently described the previous academy gym, while Grundy was preoccupied in the ring with Trooper

With Grundy’s assistance and loyalty, the state police boxing site and training was brought to the next level, those at the ring said.

The academy lasts for 22 weeks, with recruits living on site. Grundy shows up about eight weeks in, and for 10 sessions he teaches defense, offense, safety, character development and what it’s like to fight and take punches.

“What I bring is the fear factor,” he said. “I tell them, ‘There’s no exit door. You have to fight. There are no friends and deals to be made. What I want to do is get you out of the fear of someone coming after you.’”

Reflecting on his words to the student troopers, Grundy says, “What a way to go through life: confident.”

Trooper after trooper said the boxing is what they remember and value most from the academy.

“He was training me not just to succeed in the academy, but getting me in that mindset to never quit,” said Trooper Nick Rivello, who said he applied for the state police after growing up in the gym and hearing the many trooper stories.

Said Lagor, “You can’t put a number on how successful the byproducts of his boxing are, but we know the success rate is high. We know we can rely on the [newest troopers] because they’ve been through Mr. Grundy.”